The U.S. maternal mortality rate decreased to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, down from 22.3 in 2022, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the mortality rate decreased overall, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in 2023 was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly higher than rates for white (14.5), Hispanic (12.4) and Asian (10.7) women.  
 
AHA is committed to safeguarding mothers and babies by eliminating maternal mortality and reducing maternal morbidity. For more on members’ efforts, including case studies, podcasts, webinars and other resources, visit AHA’s Better Health for Mothers and Babies Initiative webpage. 

Headline
A new blog, part of the Keeping Care Close to Home initiative, discusses how connected care networks are essential to sustaining rural maternal care. The blog…
Blog
When the American Hospital Association launched the Keeping Care Close to Home: Innovations in Rural Maternal Health project in 2025, we set out to understand…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services Oct. 9 announced the launch of its Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit Program, which, through partnership with the…
Headline
 A study by the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center found that between 2007 and 2023, the percentage of midwife-attended births rose in…
Headline
As part of the AHA’s Opportunities for Innovations in Rural Maternal Care initiative, a recent Commonwealth Fund blog discusses strategies hospitals can use to…
Headline
In part three of the AHA’s special Advancing Health podcast series, hear how hospitals are using technology-enabled care and strong regional partnerships to…